Vehicle-spring



(No Model.)

' H. TIMKEN.

VEHICLE SPRING.

Patented Apr. 7, 1891.

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' NIT-ED STATES PATENT Fries.

HENRY TIMKEN, OF SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA.

VEHICLE-SPRING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 449,717, dated April '7, 1891.

Application filed November 24, 1890. Serial No. 372,527. (No model.) A

-To all whom it may concern:

and claimed.

I attain the objects by the mechanism illusin the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of my vehicle-spring attached to a running-gear, with the sills and spring-bars of the bodyin dotted lines. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the vehicle-springs, running-gear, and sills of the body of a vehi- Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of the same.

S S are two springs arranged longitudinally with the body, and each has one end connected to the body and the other end connected to the rear axle.

S S are two front springs arranged longitudinally with the body, and each have one end connected to the body and the other end connected to the head-block ofthe runninggear.

The springs S S are provided with a transverse spring T, which is arranged transversely across the vehicle and has its ends supported by the springs S S ator near their respective crowns in appropriate bearings, preferably saddles provided with sockets, through which the ends of the spring T can move to take up the elongation of the spring. The springs S S in like manner are provided with a transverse spring T. These springs T and T are secured at their crowns by appropriate fastenings to the spring-bars B and serve to support the body of the vehicle.

O C are two braces secured to the hind axle outside of the springs S S at one end, and then run obliquely and are secured to the springs at the other end,preferably at the same place and by the same fastening with which the springs S S are secured, and serve to brace the axle A with the springs S S.

C C are front braces secured to the springs at one end and to the running-gear at the other end, and they are preferably united at their ends and secured by the king-bolt to the under side of the front axle A.

D D D D are saddles and are mounted on the longitudinal springs S S S S, and trans versely through their upper parts are sockets or slots cl d d d, made wide enough to receive the lower leaf of the springs T T in a loose manner and allow the end to play back and forth therein to take up the elongation. Any well-known connection, however, to support the ends of the spring can be used without departing from the spirit of my invention.

A is the rear axle, and A is the front axle, whichis provided with an ordinary fifth-wheel W and head-block H and king-bolt K.

By this construction I have a neat, simple, cheap, durable, and very easy-riding vehicle-spring and running-gear, and one which has no parts to get loose and rattle, and am enabled to dispense with both perch and side bars. At the same time I throw the weight close to the wheels on the axle, and thus am enabled to use a lighter axle than when the weight is put upon the center of the axle, as in other vehicles.

I am aware that springs arranged longitudinally with the body having one of their ends-connected to the body and the other of their ends connected to the head-block and hind axle, respectively, by double connections formed by dividing the spring at the end where it is connected to the head-block-and axle, the upper leaf running to the top of the head-block or axle and the lower leaf running to the bottom of the same to keep the axle from turning, have been used before; but such double connection interferes with the free action of the spring and renders it stifi, unyielding, and harsh, for the reason that the leaves are not permitted to move to and fro on each other in the action of the spring, as in my spring. The leaves of a spring thus to play to and fro on each other in the usual manner. I do not therefore lay claim to a spring or springs which are divided at one of their respective ends, thus forming a double connection by which it is connected to the head-block or axle either singly or in combination with a transverse spring, as such construction would defeat the objects of my invention.

Now What I claim, and for which I ask Letters Patent to be granted to me, is

1. In a vehicle-spring, the combination of two springs arranged longitudinally With the body of the vehicle, each spring having one end connected to the body of the vehicle and the other end connected to the axle, a transverse spring having its ends supported by the longitudinal springs at or near their crowns and the crown of said transverse spring socured to the body of the vehicle, and two braces interposed between the body and hind axle with one end thereof secured to the springs or body and the other secured to the hind axle, as and for the purposes set forth.

2. In a vehicle-spring, the combination of two springs arranged longitudinally with the body and each spring connected at one of its ends to the body and at the other end to the head-block, a transverse spring having its ends supported by the longitudinal springs at or near their crowns and the crown of said transverse spring secured to the body of the vehicle, and two braces secured at one end to one of the longitudinal springs or body and at the other end to the running-gear in front, substantially as described, and for the purposes set forth.

HENRY TIMKEN. Attest:

R. R. SWEET, ALVIN T. SIMPKINs. 

